Tool tethering method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A tool or set of tools is provided having a heavy-duty tether permanently secured thereto, the tether being a load rated web-strapping material which may be several feet in length and is provided with hooks and rings for temporarily shortening the length of the tether without disconnecting the tool or adjusting buckles. Each hand tool is modified and tested for permanent attachment to the tether system. The tool connection and the tether&#39;s associated hardware are all load rated as a complete unit for shock loading due to the tool being dropped several feet. The tether system may also be configured to contain several hand tools on a single tether while still allowing the use of only one tool at a time without interference from the remaining tools. The tether system and its permanently attached tools are intended to be leased to workers or their employers under a maintenance agreement for the periodic repair and re-certification of the tools and the tether system as a complete unit.

1, FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to tethers and straps attached to hand tools and more particularly to permanently attached safety lanyards attached to large hand tools to prevent accidental dropping of such tools when working at great heights over the heads of other workers.

2. GENERAL BACKGROUND

[0002] 2.1 It is a generally accepted safety practice to secure a workman's tools in some manner when working from a ladder or above ground level, either by having the tools secured to the worker with a tether or in a holster of some sort. In some cases provisions are made on the tool itself for making such attachments. However, in most cases when tools are provided with an eyelet, it is not recommended for safety strap retention and is only provided as a means for storing on a wall hook or the like. Such eyelets are not generally tested for load or shock stress.

[0003] 2.2 Generally tethers are lightweight, retractable, and have light duty snap hooks at each end for snap connection to the tool and to the worker's belt or harness. Some such tethers even use plastic snaps. In some cases a loop is formed around the worker's wrist with the free end having a snap snapable to a tool. Others have disclosed the use of hook and loop type fasteners to secure the tool to the worker's hand. Tethers or lanyards have been used for attaching fishing tools and scuba gear to fishermen and divers and even hand and power tools used in outer space.

[0004] 2.3 The use of such safety tethers and lanyards is becoming increasingly necessary, especially in industrial centers where workers are constantly exposed to the hazards of falling tools, sometimes from many feet. Such accidents often occur as a result of overhead work being performed in inclement weather and other wet and slippery conditions. One such example is an oilrig derrick where workers are being exposed to the elements of nature as well as extreme wet, muddy, and oily working conditions.

[0005] 2.4 In such conditions it is essential that the tools be securely attached to the tether or lanyard and that that the tether or lanyard be secured to a worker or a safety cable or structural member in a positive manner at all times. Since a set of connection points is only as strong as the weakest point and heavy construction jobs tend to require heavy tools, extreme measures must be taken to insure that all connection points are reinforced and load rated to accommodate shock loading when dropped several feet. Therefore, tool connections, snaps, straps and connecting rings must all be equally rated. Further, multiple tools must be readily accessible and useable without the need for constantly disconnecting and reconnecting various tools to a single tether under such severe conditions. It is also essential that the heavy tools and their tethers be capable of secure attachment to the worker without hindrance while climbing around structural elements. Further, heretofore the worker or his employer have always provided hand tools and it was the worker's responsibility to ensure that the tools are in good working order. However, a new methodology is emerging whereby hand tools are being especially adapted for use in hazardous situations, such as working over the heads of other workers, and are provided by a third party under contract who periodically services the tools and certifies the tools as being in good repair and further certifies the load rating for the tether for use in hazardous conditions for attachment to the worker or specially constructed safety lines adjacent the work site. Therefore, the worker is only responsible for ensuring that the tools are used properly and secured whenever necessary in the proper manner. The employer is responsible for properly training the worker in safety practices as established by the third party tool supplier.

[0006] 2,5 it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a permanently attached, load rated tether for various types of hand tools.

[0007] Another object of the invention is to provide access to multiple tools on a single tether. Still another object of the invention is to provide a service for inspecting and certifying hand tools including fixed tethers for use in hazardous conditions.

[0008] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tether system having link attachments for shortening the length of the tether and multiple swivels and safety lock hooks

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to the present invention, a tool or set of tools is provided having a heavy-duty tether permanently secured to the tool or set of tools, the tether being formed from a heavy duty, sewn, web-strapping material equivalent to that of a worker's safety harness. Although the tethers may be several feet in length, they are provided with hooks and rings for temporarily shortening the length of the tether without disconnecting the tool or adjusting buckles. Each tool is modified and tested for permanent attachment to the tether system. The tool connection and the tether's associated hardware are load rated as a complete unit for shock loading due to the tool being dropped several feet. The tether system may be configured to contain several tools on a single tether while still allowing the use of only one tool at a time without interference of the remaining tools. The tether system and its permanently attached tools are leased to workers or their employers under a maintenance contract for periodic repair and re-certification.

4.0 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like parts are given like reference numerals, and wherein:

[0011]FIG. 1 is an illustration view of a worker wearing a safety harness showing the hand tool tether system attached.

[0012]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of the tether fixed to a heavy pipe wrench;

[0013]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 shown in the shortened configuration;

[0014]FIG. 4 is more detailed, partial view of the swivel safety lock hook used in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 shown in the unlocked position;

[0015]FIG. 5 is more detailed partial view of the swivel, safety lock hook used in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 shown in the locked position;

[0016]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the tether system with attachment through the box-end portion of large combination hand wrenches shown in the secured position;

[0017]FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the tether system with attachment through the box-end portion of large combination hand wrenches shown in the deployed position;

[0018]FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the tether system with attachment through the box-end portion of large combination hand wrenches shown with a single tool in deployed position;

[0019]FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the strap doubled and stitched along each side forming a loop at each end;

[0020]FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the tether system with attachment through the handle portion of a pair of large and medium screwdrivers shown in the secured position;

[0021]FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the tether system with attachment through the handle portion of a pair of large and medium screwdrivers shown in the deployed position; and

[0022]FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the tether system with attachment through the handle portion of a pair of large and medium screwdrivers shown with one in the deployed position.

5.0 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] 5.1 As first seen in FIG. 1, the hand tool tether system 10 is comprised of a poly web strap material permanently attached to a variety of large heavy hand tools 12 at one end and secured to a worker's safety harness 14, a safety bar or cable located adjacent the worker's work area for such purpose. As further shown in FIG. 2 a first embodiment may include the poly web high tensile strap 16 forming an endless loop threaded through an opening 18 in the handle of the pipe wrench tool 20, a welded ring 22, the eyelet 24 of a heavy duty, swivel type, safety snap hook 26 and the eyelet of a snap hook 28 located intermediate the tool 20 and the heavy duty snap hook 26. The poly web strap material is comparable with the strapping material generally used for the safety harness 14. The swivel safety snap lock 24 is of a size and type to permit ready release and connection when a worker is wearing gloves and equipped with safety lock to prevent accidental opening. The web strap material 16 when doubled is sewn or stitched along each side of its length to form a single strap at assembly and in a manner that defines a loop at each end to prevent the tool 12 and snap hook 28 from sliding there along.

[0024] 5.2 Turning now to FIG. 3 we see the snap hook located mid way along the strap 16 is used to clip the ring 22 located adjacent the tool for rapidly shortening the length of the tether to prevent the tool from being an obstruction to worker when moving about the work area. This arrangement may be used with all embodiments. Again, the clip or snap 28 should be of sufficient size to allow fastening even when the worker is wearing gloves. However, this clip need not have a safety lock as required by the hook 26 shown in detail in FIG. 4. The nomenclature of the heavy duty safety snap hook 26 is such that in order for the trigger 30 to be depressed as shown in FIG. 4, the safety lock bar 32 must also be depressed before attaching or detaching the hook 26 from the harness D-ring 34 in the manner shown in FIG. 5. The swivel eyelet 24 allows the strap and tool to rotate freely when in use.

[0025] 5.3 Looking now at FIG. 6 we see that the tether system 10 may be configured for use for securing sets of hand wrenches. As first seen in FIG. 6, a number of large oversize hand wrenches of different sizes, such as combination box-end/open-end wrenches, may be secured readily by threading the strap material through the box-end potion of several wrenches prior to sewing the strap, thereby leaving a loop 38 at the end of the strap opposite the snap hook 26. The wrenches 36 may be secured in a bundle, as shown in FIG. 6, by a pair of hook and loop fastener strips 40 attached to the strap 16 adjacent the loop 38. All of the wrenches 36 may be deployed as seen in FIG. 7 or only a single wrench may be deployed with the remaining wrenches secured by the fastener strips 40 as seen in FIG. 8.

[0026] 5.4 Referring now to FIG. 9, we see that the strap material 16 is a high-density woven fiber strip which may be pure cotton, cotton-jute, or polypropylene webbing or strapping connected in an endless loop after being threaded through the tool 12 and safety snap hook swivel eyelet 24 or other accessories, such as ring 22 and spring snap 28. The loop is then compressed and the upper and lower portions of the loop are sewn or stitched 17 together longitudinally along each side to form a single laminated strap leaving a small loop 19 and 21 at each end for the snap hook assembly 26 and the tool 12 respectively. As previously indicated, the strap material is threaded through an opening in or other permanent connections fixed to a hand tool prior to sewing, thereby making the tether 10 a permanent attachment. Any attempt to remove a tool 12 from its tether assembly 10 destroys the integrity of the tether assembly 10.

[0027] 5.5 Alternatively, the strap 16 may terminate at each end 42 after being threaded through the safety snap hook eyelet 24, thereby forming a loop when threaded through a swivel 44 as seen in FIG. 10. In this embodiment a pair of large screw drivers 50 is provided with an opening through the handle portion through which an endless loop of the web material forming strap 16 is threaded and further passed through a portion of a swivel 44 before being sewn into an endless loop and longitudinally sewn to form a flat laminated strap 46. This allows the screwdrivers 50 or such similar tools to be rotated more freely without rotating the strap 16. In this case a hood 48 is provided along the length of the strap 16 for covering the sharp tips of the tools 50. Again a hook and loop fastener strip 40 is provided for securing the tools in a bundle in parallel with the strap 16 when not in use. The tools 50 maybe deployed in tandem, as seen in FIG. 11, for multiple use or as a single entity as shown in FIG. 12 for single entity use. Although hand tools are expressly shown in the embodiments herein, heavy-duty motor driven tools may be tethered as well, provided that they are permanently secured to the tether and load tested and certified.

[0028] 5.6 Any hand tool not provided with an opening for attaching the tether system maybe modified by permanently fixing shackles, swivels, etc., to the tool and load rating the tether and tool as a complete assembly. Each tether system may be custom designed for use with a particular type of tool or tools as indicated by the several embodiments described herein to insure safe use of the tool attached thereto.

[0029] 5.7 In making the tool harnesses described herein a method for testing each assembly becomes essential. Typically, this may involve “trial-and-error” testing of the actual belt in combination with the hardware and the actual tool involved or it may require a specific sample size, in order to determine if the belts need to be permanently altered in some way; or “over-stressed” to simulate an actual use-environment prior to certification. Tests may be conducted to verify ASME drop test calculations based on the tool, belting, and safety clip manufacturer's specification or a simple tensile test which exceeds the ASME drop requirements by a safety factor of five may be conducted on each strap and tool assembly. In any case, each tool strap is certified and labeled as to when the unit was last inspected and load rated.

[0030] 5.8 Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for tethering a tool comprising a length of high tensile, strapping material threaded through a portion of said tool, the ends of said strapping being threaded through a portion of a heavy-duty safety snap hook and sewn together to form an elongated strap, said strapping being further sewn in a manner whereby said tool and said snap hook are maintained at opposite ends of said elongated strap.
 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said safety hook is connected to a worker's safety harness.
 3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said safety hook is connected to a safety cable located adjacent a work area.
 4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said strap further comprises a connecting ring located adjacent said tool.
 5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said strap further comprises a spring clip fixed to said strap intermediate said tool and said snap hook for connecting to said connecting ring.
 6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said tool is a large heavy hand tool.
 7. A tether system for tethering a plurality of hand tools comprising a length of high tensile, web strapping threaded through a portion of each said hand tool, the ends of said strapping being threaded through a portion of a heavy-duty safety snap hook and sewn together, thereby forming an elongated laminated strap, said strapping being further sewn in a manner whereby said plurality of hand tools and said snap hook are maintained at opposite ends of said strap.
 8. The tether system according to claim 7 wherein said hand tools are large end-wrenches
 9. The tether system according to claim 7 wherein said hand tools are large oversize screwdrivers.
 10. The tether system according to claim 7 wherein said hand tools are bundled and further secured parallel to said strap by at least one hook and loop strip in a manner whereby each of said plurality of hand tools may be independently deployed.
 11. A tether system for tethering a plurality of hand tools comprising: a) a heavy-duty safety snap hook; b) a first length of high tensile, web strapping threaded through a swivel portion of said heavy-duty safety snap hook; c) at least one swivel member permanently connected to at least one end of said web strapping; and d) a second length of web strapping threaded through a portion of a hand tool, the ends of which being permanently connected to one said swivel member; and a means attached to said first length of web strapping for securing at least one said hand tool parallel to said first length of web strapping.
 12. The tether system for tethering a plurality of hand tools according to claim 11 further comprising a means attached to said first length of web strapping for covering sharp pointed hand tools.
 13. The tether system for tethering a plurality of hand tools comprising a means for selectively deploying and manipulating a single tool permanently connected to a heavy duty tether from a bundle of hand tools permanently secured to said tether system.
 14. A method for using and ensuring the integrity of a tethering system for hand tools generally used in a work area above the heads of personnel comprising the step of: a) providing a certified tether system custom designed and permanently attached to at least one tool; b) leasing the use of said tether system under an agreement to periodically maintain at least one tool in proper working order and re-certify the safety integrity of said tether system. 